Introduction to Unity and MiddleVR David J. Zielinski DiVE Virtual - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Introduction to Unity and MiddleVR

David J. Zielinski DiVE Virtual Reality Lab Duke University

Overview

• Unity Overview
• Editor Interface
• Scripting
• MiddleVR

Unity - Why even use a game engine?

Simplify development of games.

• Game Mechanics

○ physics, AI

• Rendering Effects

○ shadows, lighting

• I/O Abstraction

○ input devices ○ output devices

Unity - What is it?

• Commercial game engine (Free and Pro)
• Cross platform
• Popular

Unity - Commercial Game Engine

Pro Version offers:

• LOD
• Occulsion culling
• Profiler
• Full screen post processing effects (Oculus)
• Quad Buffered Stereo (for zSpace and

DiVE)

• … and more!

Unity - Cross Platform

Multiple Build Targets (Input/Output Abstraction)

• Windows
• Linux
• iOS
• Android
• Web
• … and more!

Unity - Popular

• 2 million registered users
• Large asset store (models, scripts)
• Utilized in other Duke classes

Unity - Competitors

Unity - Understanding Projects

A Unity project...

• is actually the directory
• will contain all the assets for your game
• can contain multiple scenes

Unity Editor - Windows

Scene Hierarchy Inspector Project Console

Unity Editor - Scene Window

Orbit: alt+left mouse right mouse button Pan: middle mouse Zoom: scroll wheel alt+ right mouse

Unity Editor - Hierarchy

• Show objects in current scene
• Can drag objects underneath

another object.

• Selecting an object will change

the view in the inspector window (next slide)

• Tip: can use ‘f’ key to center on
• bject in scene view

Unity Editor - Inspector

• Shows currently selected game
• bject.
• Lists all components of that

game object.

• Scripts will show up here as

well.

Unity Editor - Project

• Lists all assets in your project

Unity Editor - Console

If there are errors in your script, they will show up here when you press play.

Unity Editor - Game Window

• When you press play

the scene window will switch to the game view window.

• IMPORTANT: values

adjusted while in play mode will revert when play ends.

Example - Adding a Cube

GameObject Create Other Cube

Example - Moving a cube

• can use handles in

scene view to move

• can adjust values in

inspector view

• Tip: click value and

use mouse to quickly adjust

Example - add material to cube

Assets Create Material

Example - add material to cube part2

Drag material from project window onto Cube in Hierarchy window.

Example - Material added to cube

• We can change the shader

used

• We can change the color by

bringing up the color picker

Example - Color picker

Building

File Build & Run

Building - Platform Chooser

• This lets you

generate a standalone exe

• Tip: make sure scene

is in build.

• Look at “Scenes In

Build” window.

Scripting

• UnityScript (similiar to JavaScript)
• Boo (similiar to python)
• C#

Which language to use?

Answer: C#

• interoperability with libraries written in C#

○ MiddleVR is written in C#

• less errors

○ JS Implicit variable declaration can cause problems

• advanced features available if needed

○ Properties, delegates, lambdas, generics

Comments

// for single line comments /* for multi line comments */

Variables

• Various Data Types

○ bool, char, byte, float, double, int, string, …

• Public vs Private keyword
• Pass by reference: use ref instead of &

Example: public int playerHealth=5;

Functions (called methods in C#)

• allows us to compartmentalize and reuse

code effeciently

public int SquareANumber(int number) { return number * number; }

If Statements

if (m > 10) { //do something } else { //do something }

Basic Functions

void Start() { //called once. do any initialization here } void Update() { //called every frame. move objects here }

For Loop

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { Debug.Log(“hello”); }

Example - Rotating Cube

void Update() { transform.Rotate(0,speed,0); }

Example - Rotate Cube Properly

void Update() { transform.Rotate(0,speed*Time.deltaTime,0); }

MiddleVR

• Commercial Plugin
• Support for 3D interaction devices
• Stereoscopy (active, passive)
• Multi-screens / multi-computers

○ (needed for CAVE-type systems)

MiddleVR Licensing

Free Version:

• export for oculus
• simulator for desktop development

Academic (licensed) Version:

• Build/Export to zSpace
• Build/Export to DiVE
• Can be node locked or floating license.

Add MiddleVR to Unity Project

Assets Import Package Custom Package

Find the MiddleVR Package

Adding to Scene

Need to drag “VRManager” from project to Hierarchy window

Pick Config File

• Select VRManager.
• Many options in

inspector window.

• Pick configuration

file.

Pick Config File - Part 2

• I’ve been working

(in progress) on some config files.

• Located on the

DiVE fileserver.

Now Click Play

We can see that VRRootNode is created dynmically.

Virtual Hand Technique

• MiddleVR has easy ways to

enable Virtual Hand technique.

• Add VRActor script to object

we want to pickup

Virtual Hand Demo

• touch an object

and click, the

• bject is moved

underneath the handnode

Learn More

Unity

http://docs.unity3d.com/Documentation/Manual/index.html

Walker Boys Studio - Video tutorial

http://www.walkerboystudio.com/html/unity_training___free__.html

Lynda

http://www.lynda.com/Unity-3D-tutorials/Unity-3D-35-Essential-Training/96677-2.html

Middle VR

http://www.imin-vr.com/doc/current/

Thank You! Questions?